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TRANSCRIPT
THE
SUMMER 2015
Becoming a Champion for LIFE
OUR CHAMPION:
SOPHIA BOOKER
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7Where Are They Now? Ashleigh
Lynchburg Region Builds Bridges out of Poverty
Gifts of Hope Catalog: Your Chance to Give
A Mom BreaksHer Silence Official Newsletter
MORE RIGHTS FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE!
YOUR VOICE
MATTERS! YOUTH FOR A CAUSE!
OUR CHAMPION: SOPHIA BOOKER
2 THE CHAMPION • Summer 2015
SOPHIA BOOKERBecoming aChampion for LIFE
SOPHIA BOOKER HEARD about Project LIFE for the first time in 2010 when a friend invited her to a youth advisory council meeting where teens in foster care discuss shared challenges and ways to im-prove the system. “I just wanted to hang out with one of my friends who had planned to attend—I had no idea that this would become a permanent connection in my life that I would cherish,” Sophia said.
Sophia and her twin sister,Bridgette, entered foster care at ageseven. Like many children in thesystem, they moved around severaltimes and were without a perma-nent connection. Their final place-ment was with Linda Booker, whoadopted both Sophia and Bridgetteafter they lived in her home forfive years.
“Mom was determined that we weregoing to stay engaged and connectedbeyond our new home,” Sophiaexplained. Linda’s determination,plus the nudge from a close friend,brought Sophia to Project LIFE forthe first time.
“When I started as a participant, Project LIFE gave me the tools I needed to help me build my own support network,” she said. “It’s like the program helped me to create
my own little family of people who supported me and loved me unconditionally.”
Bolstered by her support network, Sophia flourished at Project LIFE. As a regular participant in the youth advisory council, Sophia learned to advocate for herself and others in the foster care system. “The program helped me learn how to problem solve effectively,” Sophia explained. Project LIFE staff quickly recognized Sophia’s skills and poten-tial and asked her to serve as a volunteer for the program’s bi- annual youth conferences.
As her connections to Project LIFEcontinued to deepen, Sophia remem-bers asking herself, “Man, wouldn’tit be cool to get paid to work forProject LIFE?” That’s exactly whathappened in 2012 when the programhired Sophia as a youth counselor tohelp coordinate the summer learningprogram. During the summers of 2012and 2013, Sophia helped to coordinateservice learning activities for programparticipants including a partnershipwith A Grace Place, an adult carecenter in Richmond.
On March 5, 2014, Project LIFE hiredSophia as its first youth network co-ordinator. “I made sure I’d rememberthat date,” Sophia says. “It was and will
always be a proud moment in Sophiahistory,” she added.
In her current role, Sophia workswith foster youth from across the stateto help them develop the same skillsand connections that she gained as aparticipant in the program. “I educatethe youth on how to effectively advo-cate for themselves and for others,”Sophia explains.
“I want them to understand that theyare valuable and that what they saymatters. So, along with discussingtheir concerns within the system, Iteach them to brainstorm solutions.When they do this, they can say thatthey made a meaningful contributionfor a greater cause,” she said.
Jill Gaynor is Sophia’s mentor and amember of her Project LIFE supportteam. “Sophia is truly an amazingyoung woman with so much talent,
Sophia Booker, former Project LIFE participant, is now the program’s youth network coordinator.She found her voice as an advocate for youth in foster care and is helping others do the same.
Sophia is a remarkable young woman whose passion, energy and life experiences are gifts that have made room for her at UMFS. She brings a personal perspective that allows her to connect and engage with youth.– Adalay Wilson, associate
vice president of programs
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MORE RIGHTS FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE!MissionUMFS is an unwavering champion for high-risk children and families,collaborating with communities to help them reach their full potential.
VisionCreating a world where caring,opportunity and generosity are passed on from generation to generation — empowering all children to contribute to society as engaged citizens.
www.umfs.org
RICHMOND CAMPUS CHILD & FAMILY HEALING CENTER3900 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230804.353.4461• [email protected]
FREDERICKSBURG REGIONAL CENTER1320 Central Park Boulevard, Suite 310 Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540.898.1773 • [email protected]
NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL CENTER5400 Shawnee Road, Suite 101, Alexandria,VA 22312703.941.9008 • [email protected]
TIDEWATER REGIONAL CENTER5301 Robin Hood Road, Suite 122, Norfolk,VA 23513757.490.9791 • [email protected]
SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CENTER 828 North Mecklenburg Avenue, Suite B South Hill, VA 23970 434.447.8630 • [email protected]
LYNCHBURG REGIONAL CENTER 2420 Memorial Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24501 434.846.2002 • [email protected]
FARMVILLE OFFICE306 East Third Street, Suite B, Farmville, VA 23901 434.391.9076 • [email protected]
CHARLOTTESVILLE OFFICE 806 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 434.972.1718 • [email protected]
LELAND HOUSE 13525 Leland Road, Centreville, VA 20120 703.222.3558 • [email protected]
CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL3900 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230 804.239.1080 • [email protected]
CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL, EDINBURG 508 Picadilly Street, Edinburg, VA 22824 540.984.6266 • [email protected]
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potential and drive. All she neededwas a little help and support withbasic life skills, and a cheerleader tooccasionally pick her up when shestumbled. I can’t wait to see whereGod will lead her, and I am blessed tobe in her life to walk alongside her inthis journey.”
Sophia will continue her journey thisfall when she enrolls in the socialwork program at Virginia Common-wealth University. “It took me somuch sweat, tears and hard workto get to that moment. Along withmy success in supporting kids in thefoster care system, being acceptedat VCU was one of my proudestmoments. I’m so excited.”
Someone asked me what is a life worth living?I told them paving your own road, never accepting what’s in front of you.When darkness surrounds your life…create your own light.Deep inside there is one, you just have to believe that it’s there.That’s a life worth living.Abuse and neglect is not the only thing life has to offer.I believed there was something better.Foster care and adoption gave me a life worth living.It gave me new opportunities...like Project LIFE.A life worth living.As a participant and now as an employee, I accept the blessing.Determination and overcoming all challenges presented in front of us,it’s a reflection of my life.My passion shines through with the help of amazing people on our team.Talia,Angie,Willie,Adalay and former employees like Ms. Jackie Cowan and George Mack….Shout out to you all for not only being my co workers, but permanent connections in my life! That’s a life worth living.
– Sophia Booker
A Life Worth Living
Project LIFE serves Virginia foster youth ages 14-21 as they transition out of the foster care system into adulthood. Since its inception in 2009,Project LIFE has made an impact on more than 1700 foster youth.
Our new Project LIFE site gives youth in foster care a wealth of resources.Visit now: www.vaprojectlife.org
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Imagine the stress of having to take a standardized test to graduate—not once, not twice, but four times.That was the reality for one Charterhouse School student who, with the help of his dedicated tutor, teachers and school staff, was one of 12 students to receive a diploma at Charterhouse School’s graduation June 19.
He and his fellow classmates will pursue various post high school opportunities.A few plan to attend community college. One will attend Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center’s Life Skills Transition Program, while another will pursue a vocational education at Gladys H. Oberle School.Good luck, Mustangs!
Grads Go Forth at Charterhouse School Commencement
will emancipate — or “age-out” — from the foster care system when they reach age 18 or finish high school. Studies of youth who have left foster care show they are more likely than those in the general population to not finish high school, be unem-ployed and be dependent on public assistance. Many find themselves in prison, homeless or parents at an early age.
Thankfully, Ashleigh isn’t one of those statistics.
While processing paperwork for a fleet vehicle purchase at her job at CarMax, Ashleigh saw the name UMFS. Ashleigh told Jay Ziehl, UMFS chief operating officer, that she had been in foster care with UMFS when she was a teenager.
Ashleigh was living in Northern Virginia with her grandmother. When her grandmother died, an aunt and uncle tried not only to adopt Ash-leigh, but also to “inherit” moneyfrom the grandmother’s estate. Social services got involved and put
Ashleigh in foster care. After two unsuccessful placements in Northern Virginia, UMFS placed Ashleigh with a family in King William County.
“The first six months were really hard,” Ashleigh explains. “I was adjusting to a new school, making new friends, and learning to put down my walls and adapt to the change that was happening around me,” she said. The support of her UMFS case worker, JoEllen Miller, got Ashleigh through the transition. “There was something about JoEllen that I could relate to immediately. Her support meant a lot to me.”
After 11 years in the foster care system,Ashleigh found her forever familythrough her friend and King WilliamHigh School classmate, Nikki. Nikki’sparents took full custody of Ashleighthe summer before her senior year. “I call them mom and dad,” she explained, “and Nikki is my sister.”
With the support of her adoptive parents, Ashleigh has also reconnect-ed with her birth mother. “When we reconnected, I spent a week with her
in Northern Virginia—now we talk every day.”
After high school, Ashleigh attendedSyracuse University, earning a degree inhospitality and tourism management.
Ashleigh currently works at CarMax as a business office associate and plans to one day be an event planner for a large company. She lives in the Richmond area and enjoys the support of herboyfriend, Brandon.
ReNe’e Teague is a Methodist minister and a parent support partner with UMFS.Parent support partners use their own experience to support and help families navigatethe mental health system and connect with formal and informal family supports.If you are interested in knowing more about the program, please contact Rachelle Butler,PSP program manager, 804.353.4461 x1404.
THE CHAMPION • Summer 2015 5
A Mom Breaks Her Silenceto Give Others a Voice– By ReNe’e Teague
MY DAUGHTER, SALLY, IS MY THIRD OF FOUR DAUGHTERS.Sally always preferred me. She object-ed loudly when anyone else held her. When Sally and I were at home, just the two of us, everything was good.
When Sally was in fifth grade, our nation endured the September 11 attacks, followed by anthrax and snipers. Sally became fixated on the fear. She ducked when planes flew over. She began to threaten suicide.
In high school, she was artistic, quirky, sensitive…. She had friends and marched in the band. She went out. She had a boyfriend. I thought she’d find her way—that her strong will would get her through. I was wrong. Sally began pulling her hair out.
At 18, Sally started taking her first anti-anxiety, anti-depressant medi-cations. She graduated high school, went to VCU and became a nationally licensed pharmacy tech. Then she was assaulted at a party. She began cutting. Her boyfriend broke up with her.
She sank deeper into depression and I began the arduous task of accessing mental health care for my young adult child.
I called around and was told there weren’t enough providers. The good ones weren’t taking new patients. A psychiatric nurse practitioner and a therapist prescribed so many meds, I could barely keep up with what she was supposed to take and when. Her poor body just couldn’t keep up with it all and after four months, she attempted suicide.
I walked in the bathroom to find my daughter…I scooped her up and took her to the hospital. Sally went into the psych ward voluntarily. We got her out 48 hours later. I vowed she’d never go back.
At a volunteer engagement meeting at UMFS I told Angie Williams my story. Angie talked to Greg Peters. They helped me find a psychiatrist. Meds started to make sense. I listened to other stories of young adults like my daughter. I wasn’t alone.
Sally’s mental illness continues to wreak havoc. On good days, she gets up, bathes, takes her meds. On bad days she never leaves her bed. On good days, I celebrate. I enjoy them to the max! On bad days I worry, I cry, I live in sadness and fear. The good days seem to be coming more often, but I’m so optimistic it’s hard to say for sure.
My journey has taught me a lot, but the most important lesson is that it is all better with support. I want to end the stigma and break the silence sur-rounding mental illness. I want to be there for others so their stories aren’t so unbearably difficult. I speak openly to anyone and everyone about living with mental illness, about my daughter and our story.
In my role as parent support partner forUMFS I share my story with families whose children are living with mental and behavioral health issues. I listen and help them navigate the system. I’m the parent’s voice when their voice is breaking. And I make absolutely certain these families aren’t alone on the journey.
6 THE CHAMPION • Summer 2015
A BIG SHOUT OUT toour friends at the Richmondoffice of Keller Williams Realty for their hard work spring cleaning the Richmond campus. Volunteers gardened, painted, built picnic tables and mulched as part of Keller Williams RED Day—Renew, Energize, Donate. Their generous staff baked hundreds of cookies and made handmade appreciation cards for UMFS staff and teachers.
Lynchburg Region Builds Bridges Out of Poverty
POVERTY AFFECTS US ALL. Yet those living in poverty have a difficult time breaking the cycle. UMFS’ new Getting Ahead™ program in Lynchburg hopes to change that. Through the lens of economic class, Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World is a book and a 45-hour workshop that helps individuals in poverty build their resources for a more prosperous life for themselves, their families and their communities.
Brenda Moss recently completed the course. Following the death of her son, Moss decided it was time to make some life-changing decisions and saw Getting Ahead as a path forward. Before taking the course, she worked a dead-end job she described as disappointing and frustrating. The 15-week course helped Brenda start up as an entrepreneur with a T-shirt business and a lunch and dinner service. Brenda said that through the program she learned, “That I can, and that failure is not an option.”
Small groups of 10-12 participants investigate the impact poverty has had on them and their community. Jamesia Harrison, UMFS community liaison and Getting Ahead
Watch a video about our Getting Ahead program at www.umfs.org/gettingahead
Keller Williams Red Day
Keller Williams Red Day Volunteers
facilitator said individuals have to be committed to change and ready to work. “It’s not just come in, sit down and have someone teach you,” she said. “They do the work, they investigate options. The program provides the supportand tools for success.”
A second class started in June. Getting Ahead is part of Bridges Out of Poverty, a partnership in Lynchburg between UMFS and Parkview Mission.
THE CHAMPION • Summer 2015 7
THE SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS in the Richmond Community and UMFS have similar visions—to help kids develop skills to prepare them for productive lives and leadership. For the second year in a row, Child & Family Healing Center residents from UMFS will get to participate in a summer drama therapy camp.
Drama provides a way to confront difficult emotional issues through an alternative form of expression. Through active movement, role playing and play, students can express themselves without inhibition. A participant from last year’s camp said “I was able to be goofy and funny without being judged.”
SPARC’s drama therapy camp allows stu-dents of all abilities to have performance training designed to build performing arts skills, deepen the ability to connect with peers and strengthen the personal foundation of each individual. Students will show off their talents in August with a performance at the end of the four week camp.
Drama Camp Helps Students Express Emotions
e, innovative, funny,and wildly expressive would be a few terms that could be applied to this group.The pride and satisfaction shown by our residents was heartwarming.– Gary Duncan,
vice president of marketing and development for UMFS
SPARC Young Performers
Visit www.umfs.org/donate to give online or call us toll-free at 866.252.7772, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Monday through Friday.
Your Chance to Give Kids Hope
Your gift of hope will provide:
$ 50
$ 100
$ 780
A birthday gift for one child.
Nonperishable, healthy food for two children.
School supplies for an entire class.
Or, see the full catalog for more opportunities.
We rely on your generosity to help us empower the more than 3,200 children and families we serve each year. You can donate with confidence because UMFS is dedicated to having 86 percent or more of its revenue used for programs that benefit the children and families we serve.
UMFS staff identified several much-needed items for this catalog—items that we cannot provide without your help.
Become a champion for a child in need by donating towards one or more of the gifts in the catalog. Your donations become real gifts delivered into the hands of the children we serve.
Programs like the SPARC camp would not be possible without the generosity of our donors.Your individual gift to our annual fund allows UMFS to provide exceptional programs to the children and families we serve in communities across Virginia.Visit www.umfs.org/donate
VISIT UMFS.ORGfor up-to-date information on events or to give online.Find other updates about upcoming events and other news on social media:
twitter.com/umfs facebook.com/umfs.org
HAPPENINGS AT UMFS
# BackInTheDayHere’s a photo from the late 1930s or early 1940s when UMFS operated as an orphanage in Richmond and ran a camp in New Kent County. These happy campers are sunning themselves at Lake Matoaka, the camp’s swimming hole.
FORE THE KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT
If you’re looking to spend some time outdoors and partner with UMFS while you’re at it, the Fore The Kids golf tournament is your chance.Whether you choose to play, sponsor or donate to the tournament, you’ll be a champion for kids and families in Virginia.
WHEN: Friday, October 26WHERE: Stonehenge Country Club
Richmond,VAMORE INFO: Email Joe Torrence, [email protected]: www.umfs.org/golf
OCTOBER
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